Flasher warning light



Aug. 2, 1966 N. D. QSBURN FLASHER WARNING LIGHT 2 heet l Filed J 14yMAVZKVAV A INVENT v l A awar Aug. 2, 1966 Filed June 2, 1964 N. D.OSBURN 3,264, 41

FLASHER WARNING LIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR. jl/orva "l Qfibonfl M ,1TT() 1 EYS United States Patent p g I 3,264,461 FLASHER WARNING LIGHTNorval D. Osbum, St. Petersburg, Fla., assignor to Flasher FlareSoutheast, Inc., Tampa, Fla, a corporation of Florida.

Filed June 2, 1964, Ser. No. 372,056 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-2) The subjectmatter of the instant case is a continuationin-part of my earlier filedapplication Serial No. 63,027 entitled Flasher Light Mounting which wasfiled Oct. 17, 1960, and now Patent No. 3,135,468.

This invention relates broadly to a novel lamp assembly and is moreparticularly directed to a warning lamp assembly such as a flasher unitof the type which is adapted to be mounted on a barricade and utilizedon highways to warn motorists of highway construction areas or the like.

More specifically, the instant invention is directed to an improved lamphead and light centering means for use in a lamp assembly of theforegoing general type which is designed to provide such a lamp assemblywith a greatly increased life over prior types of devices of thisgeneral class and which is designed to substantially reduce mechanicalfatigue of various parts of the assembly and breakage thereof resultingfrom shock loads.

The lamp assembly to which the instant invention apertains includesgenerally a battery casing having means formed thereon for mounting thecasing on a road barrier and a lamp head rotatably mounted on the casingcontaining a lamp which is energized by a battery mounted within thecasing.

Specifically, the lamp head disclosed in the illustrated embodiment ofmy invention comprises generally a rim which is cylindrical in form andwhich is rotatably mounted on the top wall of the battery casing. Atranslucent tube extends diametrically across the rim and has at leastone end secured to the rim. An ordinary lamp bulb is disposed inside thetranslucent tube and is maintained midway between the ends thereof bymeans of its own lead wires as to be disposed at the center axis of therim. The lead wires from the battery extend up into the hollowtranslucent tube and are connected to the lamp bulb and constitute theonly means for supporting the lamp bulb in the tube. A stopper isprovided at one end of the tube which receives the lead wires infrictional contact so that the wires can manually be moved into or outof the stopper to place the bulb mounted thereon in exactly the desiredposition within the translucent tube in a manner such that they willremain in their adjusted position. Since the lead wires are the solesupporting means for the blub in the tube, the translation of shockloads from the lamp assembly to the lamp itself will be minimized andbending of the lamp head relative to the casing will not interruptoperation of the lamp.

Since the translucent tube is connected, in one embodiment of theinvention, to the rim rather than the casing, the tube will alwaysextend across the axis of the rim even if the rim is tilted with respectto the casing. In each embodiment, by maintaining the lamp bulb midwaybetween the opposite ends of the translucent tube, the lamp bulb willalways remain in the optical center of the lenses which, in turn, aremounted coaxially of the rim. It will be recognized that this feature isparticularly important in properly projecting the light emitted from thebulb.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide anovel and improved lamp assembly wherein simple yet effective means areprovided for properly positioning a lamp bulb in a lamp head.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a means formounting a lamp bulb in a lamp vide a means of ready access to the bulb.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from time to time as the following specificationproceeds and wit-h reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a lamp assembly constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention mounted on theusual type of road barricade;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view through one embodiment of a lampassembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the instantinvention, fragmentarily illustrating the road barricade upon which itis mounted;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the lamp assembly illustrated inFIGURES l and 2 but showing the lamp head cocked with respect to thecasing upon which it is mounted;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view through a different form of lampassembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the lower endof the lamp head shown in FIG- URE 4 and showing the means by which thelamp head is mounted on the casing and the translucent tube ismaintained in position.

The lamp assembly 10 comprises a battery casing 11 which is mounted on aroad barricade 12 and which has a lamp head 13 rotatably mountedthereon.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URE 2, the lamp head 13comprises cylindrical rim 14 which has a resilient liner of spongerubber or the like 15 bonded to the inner periphery thereof. The rim 14is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to an annular washer 16. A hollowbolt 17 having a central bore 18 and a head 19 extends through theannular Washer 16 and an aperture in the top wall 20 of the casing 11and has a nut 21 threadedly mounted thereon which serves to positivelysecure the rim 14 to the top wall 20.

The nut 21 is sufficiently torqued at time of assembly to permit, undertension, complete rotation of the lamp head. This allows optimum beamingof the emitted light rays toward traffic irrespective of the placementof the barricade.

A shoulder 23 lies intermediate the bore 18 and a radially enlargedportion 24 thereof which serves as a seat for one end of a translucenttube 25. As illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the tube 25 extendsdiametrically across the rim 14 and has its upper end disposed injuxtaposition to the inner periphery of the rim 14 in a pocket cut inthe resilient liner 15. The enlarged portion 24 of the bore 18 may beformed of sufiicient diameter to provide a relatively loose fi-t for thetube 25 so that the tube is permitted some freedom of angular movementrelative to the washer and bolt 16 and 17, respectively.

A pair of lenses 26 are mounted in the lamp head with their peripherieslying against the outer edges of the resilient liner 15 and are securedtogether by bolts 26a. The bolts 26a are the sole means for mounting thelenses within the lamp head against the resilient liner and there is,therefore, no means rigidly connecting the lenses to the rim 14. In thismanner, breakage of the.

lenses, resulting from shock loads, applied to the lenses.

or, the head rim is considerably reduced.

7 The road barricade 12 is of the usual type including a pair of legsections 27 which are pivotally mounted together by bolts 27a extendingthrough adjacent legs 28.

Horizontally extending planks 29 are nailed or otherwise rigidly securedto each of the legs 28 in each leg section '29 and are usually imprintedwith warning indicia as illustrated in FIGURE 1. v

The battery casing 11 has a base wall3t) which is positioned at an angleof greater than 90 with respect to the rear wall 31. and has adownwardly sloping mounting plate formed integrally therewith. A lip 33depends from the top wall 20 and defines an opening in the batterycasing through which a battery 34 may be inserted. A

cover 35 overlies the battery 34-and has its upper end lying adjacentthe inner surface of the depending lip 33.

A mounting plate 36 is formed integrally with the. cover- 35 and lies atan angle with respect to the cover so that the cover will lie parallelwith the rear wall 31 when the mounting plates 32 and 36 are injuxtaposition to one The nut 40 is welded or otherwise rigidly securedto a the mounting plate 32 withits center aperture in registry with anaperture plate 32. The plate 36 also has an aperture formed thereinwhich lies in registry with the aperture in theplate 32 when the casing11 and cover 35 are positioned as shown. 44' formed therein inregistrywith the apertures in the.

mounting plates 32 and 36 which receives the enlarged head 45 of atamper-proof bolt 46 having its shank threaded into the nut 4-0. Thehead 45 lies on the upper surface of the mounting plate 36 but entirelywithin the recess 44 to prevent tampering therewith.

Lead wires 48 are connectedto and extendfrom the battery .34 (in amanner not shown) upwardly through the bore 18 and the hollow interiorof the translucent tube 25. These wires are connected at their upperfree ends to a lamp bulb socket'49 which has an ordinary lamp bulb 50removably mounted therein. The wires are somewhat stiff and serve as thesole means of support for the socket and bulb. The lead wires 48 alsoextend through and are snugly engaged by a rubber stopper 51 which fitswithin the open end of the bore 18.

The wires 48 are maintained in frictional contact with the stopper 51 sothat by selectively positioning the lead wires within the stopper andthereby controlling the length of the wires intermediate the stopper 51and the socket 49, the lamp bulb50 may be positioned in any desiredpositionalong the axis of translucent tube and may thereby be positionedmidway between the ends of the tube 25 at the exact center axis of therim 14.

The stopper 51 not only facilitates assembly and/ or servicing of thelight mounting but also prevents the seepage of water into the batterycasing in the event that one or both of the lenses 26 and the tube 25becomes broken. Replacement of the lamp bulb is readily effected simplyby removing the stopper from the lower end of the translucent tube andthereby pulling the lead wires and the lamp bulb out of the tube.

.wIn FIGURE 3, the rim 14 is shown in a displaced position such as itmight occupy if the lamp assembly were struck by a vehicle or subject tosevere shock loads. will be noted that the bulb is still disposed at theoptical center axis of the lenses 26 while the washer 16 and head 19of't e bol are shown as being displaced from the The plank 29 has anenlarged bore top wall of the casing. The tube 25 is loosely'mounted inthebolt 17 and the tube 25 will thus extend across the diameter of therim even though there is relative angular movement between the members16, '17 and the :rim 14.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG? URES 4 and 5 alight head 60 is formed of two lens sec tions 61 which are boltedtogether and which cooperate to define an annular seating surface 625.The seating sur-' face .62 is fitted with a gasket63 and is seated uponthe upper surface 64 of casing 65.

A clamping ring 66 'has its'periphery .67 mounted onthe undersurface ofthe upper wall of the casing and: has a plurality of studs 68=exteudingoutwardly from and. formed integrally therewithywhich are receivedwithin.

complementary apertures. 69 formed in the; annular seating surface 62..A plurality of s'crews 70' extend through the clamping ring 66 and intothe seating :surface 62 to rigidly mountthe light head 60 on the casing,65.

Translucent tube 71 extends through;the aperture de.-: fined by theannular seating-asurface 62Cand has a pin 73 extending through itsuppermost end and maintaining the a .said end in a fixed position at apoint on the light head 60= diametrically opposedfrom the aperture 72.The pin 73 extends through. both lens sections 61 and thus serves topositively maintain thewupper end of, the tube in a fixedposition;

A rubber .seal 74 having a tapered outer ,wall .75 is positioned withinthe central aperture formed in the clamping ring 66 and extends; up.into the aperture 72 in the head 60 with its tapered outer wall 75wedged into the ring aperture. The: seal 74 is itself? centrallyiapertured as at 76 to. snugly receive the outer surface .of the lowerend of the translucent tube 71.5. The seal 74 thus'provides a positiveseal between the head and the tube and serves also to center the tubewithin the aperture 72 so that the 'tube extends diametrically: acrossthe: head 60 and intersects the optical center axis of the head.

Lead wires -77 extending upwardly from batteries have V .a lampbulb'socketz79 connected .thereto at their upper ends and a lamp bulb 30is removably received within the socket 79. The wires '77 are somewhatstifi and run- .through and-are frictionallyengaged by a taperedwallstopper81 which is fitted withinithe lowermost end of the tube 71'.

It will'be observedthatthe' inner diameter of thetube 71 is only veryslightly greater than the maximum outer diameter of the lamp bulb 80 andits. associated sockets 7 9 so that by moving the'wires 77 into or outof the tube hollow transparentmember which may .restrictivelypositionthe bulb. Forthis purpose it may conceivably inelude forms other thancylindrical.

From an optical standpoint, the purpose of the tube is to provide longdistance visibility through the center (bulls-eye) of the-outside lenswhile. at the same time providing a means. of diffusing the: lightsource to achieve a more uniform patternof light dispersion throughtheremainder of the outside lens; thus'providing a highly visible lighteven when viewed from an oblique angle.

It will be understoodthat the illustrated embodiments of the instantinvention-have been used for illustrative purposes only and'that variousmodifications and variations in the present invention may be effectedwithout de-. parting from the spirit andscope of the novel conceptsthereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lamp assembly comprising:

a supporting member,

a light head member with light-transmitting walls mounted on saidsupporting member and having a lamp chamber formed therein,

a resilient plug mounted on one of said members and having a centralorifice,

a translucent cylindrical tube extending into said chamber and beingsnugly engaged within said central orifice,

said tube having an open end adjacent the said plug,

a light source slidably guided for axial movement within said tube,

a power supply lead connected to said light source and leading throughthe open end of said tube,

means connecting said supply lead to a source of electrical power, and

means gripping said lead to maintain said lead in a fixed positionrelative to the said open end of said tube.

2. A lamp assembly comprising:

a supporting member,

a light head member with light-transmitting walls mounted on saidsupporting member and having a lamp chamber formed therein,

a resilient plug mounted on one of said members and having an orificeformed therethrough,

a translucent cylindrical tube snugly engaged within said orifice andextending into said chamber and having an open end adjacent said plug,

a light source slidably guided for axial movement within said tube,

a relatively stiff power supply lead connected to said light source andleading through the open end of said tube whereby to support said lightsource axially Within said tube,

means connecting said supply lead to a source of electrical power, and

means gripping said lead to maintain said lead in a fixed positionrelative to the said open end of said tube and providing a fluid tightseal between said lead and said tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,229,794 6/1917Salzer 24010 X 1,282,617 10/1918 Mygatt 240--106 1,738,770 12/1929Geyser 240 X 2,077,973 4/ 1937 Wilson 24010 2,225,183 12/ 1940 Schnoor24010 2,871,343 1/1959 Whitney 24088 X 2,918,668 12/1959 Stube 2402 X3,135,468 6/1964 Osburn 240-2 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

1. A LAMP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SUPPORTING MEMBER, A LIGHT HEAD MEMBERWITH LIGHT-TRANSMITTING WALLS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER ANDHAVING A LAMP CHAMBER FORMED THEREIN, A RESILIENT PLUG MOUNTED ON ONE OFSAID MEMBERS AND HAVING A CENTRAL ORIFICE, A TRANSLUCENT CYLINDRICALTUBE EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER AND BEING SNUGLY ENGAGED WITHIN SAIDCENTRAL ORIFICE, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END ADJACENT THE SAID PLUG, ALIGHT SOURCE SLIDABLY GUIDED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID TUBE,